Search form

Social links

Innovation in Water Research

You are here

PhD Post in Natural Flood Management

Monday, December 21, 2015

Natural Flood Management (NFM) is the use of natural features to reduce flood risk and provide multiple benefits, e.g. habitat and amenity. Focus is placed on retention and/or attenuation of water (e.g. woodlands, floodplains and wetlands) and sediment management to improve channel capacity. These are summarised, with examples of best practice guidance, in SEPA’s new NFM Handbook and the associated “Modelling Guidance” document used for flood risk assessments.

Throughout the UK, there are very few large-scale NFM schemes by which to assess the impact of these measures on changing catchment hydrology and associated flood risk. This PhD project therefore aims to capitalise on the opportunity presented by a new, large-scale woodland creation scheme within the Central Belt of Scotland. Long-term instrumentation and monitoring is proposed for two neighbouring catchments prioritised by the local authority’s flood risk management strategy.

This PhD will be based in the Water Academy, Institute for Infrastructure & Environment, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, and is offered in collaboraton with project partners Clackmannanshire Council, JBA Consulting, Tilhill Forestry, Forest Research, SEPA. Informal enquires should be addressed to Dr Heather Haynes and Dr Lindsay Beevers at h.haynes@hw.ac.uk and l.beevers@hw.ac.uk

The closing date for applications is 1st February 2016. Full details on this post, and information on how to apply can be found here.